10/12/2015 BBC News at Six

The health secretary condemns the NHS trust that failed

to investigate a thousand unexpected deaths.

As politicians react with shock, families say they've been let down

No parent should ever have to go through this, ever.

It is totally and utterly unacceptable that according to the

leaked report, only 1% of the unexpected deaths of patients with

learning disabilities were investigated.

We'll hear how the government plans to improve the situation.

Also tonight: Four men convicted of defrauding pensioners -

they lost hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Flooded once, then flooded again - the night time deluge that left

the village of Glenridding in trouble once more.

The NHS in England misses a raft of targets -

a report says it will struggle to cope this winter.

And the painstaking work going into restoring

Glasgow's School of Art - an architectural gem

And on Reporting Scotland at 6.30: Engineers explain their plan

to repair the Forth Road Bridge, as ministers

And calls for pedestrians to be protected from lorries

in town centres, in the wake of the Glasgow bin lorry crash.

Hello and welcome to the BBC News at Six.

The Health Secretary says he's profoundly shocked by revelations

that the NHS Southern Health Trust failed to investigate the unexpected

deaths of more than 1,000 vulnerable patients.

He said the failures at the Trust - first revealed by the BBC yesterday

- were "totally and utterly unacceptable".

The organisation is one of the largest mental health trusts

- covering five counties in southern England.

Here's our social affairs correspondent, Michael Buchanan.

No parent should ever have to go through this, ever, ever.

Time does not always heal. For Mandy Parks, the loss of her daughter

three years ago remains raw, crushing.

Hannah, says Mandy, was quite simply wonderful. But psychiatric problems

developed, overwhelming the 20-year-old who killed herself.

Southern Health admitted her death was preventable and apologise to the

family. They apologised but an apology is not enough. When

someone's life has been taken away from them, saying sorry does not cut

it. In the Commons today, the Health Secretary was similarly unimpressed

with the trust. Mr Speaker, the whole House will be profoundly

shocked by this morning's allegations, of the failure to

investigate over 1000 unexpected deaths by Southern Health foundation

NHS trust. He said the whole of the NHS had to change. It is totally and

unacceptable that according to the leaked report, only 1% of deaths of

patients with learning disabilities were investigated. Jeremy Hunt was

brought to the Commons after we revealed yesterday that Southern

Health had failed to investigate the sudden deaths of nearly 1200 people.

A leaked report said failure in leadership at the trust had led to

failings. The trust said it should better have investigated cases but

disputed the report and said it had made substantial improvements. One

expert said the problems were not limited to one trust. Our findings

were just the tip of the iceberg, but until there is a proper ongoing

mortality review, we will not understand the scale of the problem.

At Southern Health's main office today, no sign of the beleaguered

Chief Executive facing mounting calls to resign. Richard West is

another bereaved parent. He did not need yesterday's report to learn of

Southern Health's problems. He had investigated them himself, found

problems and told investigators. They were not interested.

I'm sorry, we have got a problem with that report. Let's go to

Michael Buchanan now in Southampton. What have Southern Health been

saying today? There has been a huge contrast today in what we heard in

the House of Commons, the condemnation from other MPs, the

promise that action would be taken and what has happened here at

Southern Health and indeed at NHS England, both of whom seem to have

taken a vow of a murder, not saying Ferrari much at all today. That is

despite these are the two organisations who will be

investigated -- they have taken a vow of silence, not saying very much

at all today. There will be more calls for a change of leadership at

Southern Health. Thank you. Four men have been found guilty

for their part in a phone scam that defrauded pensioners

in the south of England. The victims who were

in their seventies, eighties and nineties lost

a million pounds all told. Three men were convicted of

conspiring to commit fraud. Our home affairs correspondent

June Kelly reports. This massive fraud was focused

on the places where people retire. The gang targeted

pensioners in counties like Dorset, Devon and Cornwall,

and the scam was always the same. Pretending to be police officers,

the criminals would phone elderly people and trick them into moving

or withdrawing thousands of pounds 73-year-old Patricia Burnham

handed over ?135,000, and then came the reality

that she had been duped. I said to my husband,

"oh my God, what have I done?" I just felt devastated,

stupid, embarrassed. But across Middle England,

the elderly were taken in. As the gang trawled for victims,

they called over 3700 numbers. At least 140 pensioners

handed over money. The fraudsters netted over ?1

million, but police say only ?18,000 Scotland Yard launched the fraud

enquiry after counterterrorism detectives in a separate

investigation found suspicious payments into the account of an

individual We are concerned about bank

accounts linked to Syria. We are concerned

about money which went into one particular account

of an individual who we know has Patricia Burnham's husband died

shortly after the couple learned I just feel very sad that he had

this worry and concern at a time when he was very frail,

and really couldn't cope. Today at the Old Bailey four men

were convicted of being involved The gang leader and three others had

already pleaded guilty It is revealed that

one of the convicted fraudsters Mohamed Dahir,

was supported by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn when he applied

for and was given bail Heavy rain overnight has caused more

flooding in Cumbria. The village of Glenridding

found itself under water Firefighters and the army

were called in to help. Our correspondent

Judith Moritz is there. Yes, tonight Glenridding Beck is

back where it should be. Yesterday evening it was flowing right over

the bridge where I am standing, instead of underneath it. With more

rain falling now and more to come, today they have battled all day to

reduce the risk of even more flooding here.

This was Glenridding last night, underwater for the second time

It had only just been cleared up when the river came right

This morning, the shop was still under water.

The Brown family have owned it for 30 years.

Although this is now their fourth flood, it doesn't get any easier.

So much of the mountainside collapsed in the weekend floods,

the river here was blocked when the rain

Local volunteers responded, working through the night

I know everyone around here, so I just needed to do my bit

When you see the massive team effort from everybody,

you have got to try and do your bit, haven't you?

The Environment Agency are on-site working

Are they doing the job, these local people,

volunteering, that should have been done by other organisations

We will work with them and we will support them

to do what we can to make things right again.

Those who live here no flooding is a risk, but they say they have

never seen it this bad, and to be hit

David Cameron has been in Poland to discuss his plans to change

benefit rules for migrants coming to work in the UK.

After the talks the Polish Prime Minister said she didn't "see eye

to eye" with Mr Cameron over the proposals.

Limiting in-work benefits is a main feature of the government's demands

In Poland's capital city, signs the British lifestyle holds appeal. Many

from here live and work in the UK, which is why Poland matters when it

comes to migration. For some, welfare is not important. If I were

to move to England, I would not expect to get any benefits for me. I

would just expect to find a decent job, to work there as hard as I can,

and to get my salary. But David Cameron thinks stopping migrants

claiming in work benefits like tax credits will reduce immigration. It

is a key change he wants to make to the EU before a referendum, but his

Polish counterpart needs convincing. TRANSLATION: Of course there are

discussions and issues where we do not see eye to eye today. Among

those issueds welfare and benefits. Poland will work on solutions and

does back the Prime Minister's other proposed reforms. But he he needs

backing from 26 other EU leaders as well. There is no agreement on

welfare. Is it time to compromise on this proposed ban? There is

engagement, a lot of common ground and agreement on the proposals we

have made. Some of them are difficult and they need further

work. Everyone is committed to doing that further work and reaching

agreement. The reason why this is such a sticking point is the Polish

government and other EU leaders think if their citizens get less

than in work benefits than other people that amounts to

discrimination. Some agree but others think it will not make any

difference. I have lived in England for a year and I cannot imagine

being paid less for doing the same job. I don't think it. People going

there. Maybe they won't stay for a longer time. While in Warsaw, the

Prime Minister marked past joint battles. He knows in Poland he has a

political ally who wants Poland in the EU. But resolving this conflict

on welfare changes is likely to require a compromise.

It may be winter - but thousands of migrants

and refugees are still trying to cross the sea to get to Europe.

And as the flow of people continues, so do the tragedies.

This week a mother and her seven children -

the youngest just weeks old - drowned while trying to cross

Our Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen has been speaking to him.

Somewhere in the vastness of the Aegean he lost them.

Ali Alsaho scours the spot where he and his family

took their boat bound for Europe, a new life.

It flooded and Ali's wife and his seven children drowned.

The smugglers told them they wouldn't need life jackets,

How to comprehend such a tragedy - it is too much to bear.

They had fled Islamic State hoping for sanctuary,

believing the worst horrors were behind them.

TRANSLATION: I had the most affectionate wife.

They said we would reach Greece within 15 minutes.

I say to others wanting to come, don't risk your life at sea.

Stay in Syria, however difficult it is.

Shortly after Ali and his family set off from here the waves rose up

Over 3500 people have died this year trying to make the trip to Europe.

The EU is giving Turkey money and resources to patrol

But still, even in winter, the desperate ones are making

On a nearby beach, Afghans and Iranians carry whatever

and whoever they can, like pilgrims on an endless path.

I escaped the Taliban and IS, he says.

There is always a risk, however you migrate from your country

They find shelter in a derelict village, waiting for

News has spread here of the Syrians who drowned

I was born in the war, I grew up in the war.

Have you heard about the children who died near here

It doesn't change your desire to take the boat?

For Ali, who tried the journey, his dreams of Europe now

But how many more will follow in his wake?

The Health Secretary condemns the NHS Trust that failed

to investigate a thousand unexpected deaths.

As the deadline approaches on talks over climate change,

we'll be asking if your house could be part of the problem.

And coming up on Reporting Scotland at 6.30pm, we catch up with Celtic,

as their last Europa League match gets under way in Turkey.

And the rather messy north-east tradition of "blackening" a bride

The latest figures show that the NHS is failing to meet a number of key

targets, including ambulance response times and cancer treatment.

Another area is accident and emergency.

In England, 95% those waiting in A should be treated or assessed

Scotland did a bit better with a figure of 94.7% but Wales

and Northern Ireland were both below England and Scotland.

Christmas is coming and the NHS is getting even busier.

This hospital in Nottingham has made plans to cope with the winter rush -

extra beds have been provided, GPs will be brought into A to help

I think it's going to be a really tough period for the NHS.

I think there's going to be huge demand on our services.

I'm hopeful here that we have done some really good planning

in collaboration with social services and primary care

and the commissioners but I think it will be a challenge for us

Here in the hospital control room, the management of the flow

of patients is going on around the clock.

These screens show staff at any given time, how many beds

are being freed up, and how many are needed for new patients.

Right now, almost all the 900 beds on this site are being occupied.

Increasing numbers of elderly patients with complex conditions

Getting them out of hospital can be a challenge.

It often depends on social services organising care

and that is what they have done for Hilary, who is ready to go home.

I had lots of questions in the hospital to make sure

I was ready for coming home, early in the morning,

to make sure I could dress myself and undress and everything.

But delayed transfers from hospitals in England are at a record high,

that means fewer beds for new patients coming

By contrast, in Scotland, delayed transfers have fallen,

with schemes like this one in Glasgow playing a part.

Patients are looked after in a care centre, a halfway house

Most of them would prefer to go back home but they don't really realise

how much care they need in the community.

This gives them an opportunity to realise how much care they need.

In England, key performance targets were missed.

An NHS spokesman said staff were providing quality services

in the face of increasingly high levels of demand.

Within the last hour, senior cabinet ministers have been

discussing the vexed question of whether to build a third

That was the recommendation from an independent commission.

Let's speak to our Business Editor, Kamal Ahmed, who's at Heathrow.

This is something of a long-running saga, does it mean we will get a

decision? It has been 50 years since the last full length run weight was

given the go-ahead in the south-east of England, here at Heathrow

Airport. The subcommittee is meeting as we speak that will decide on

whether to build a third runway, also here at Heathrow. On that

committee there are some big heavyweight names that do seem to be

sympathetic to a third runway. They include George Osborne, the

Chancellor, Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, and Patrick

McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, that the person who chairs the

committee has concerns and that is one David Cameron. He is concerned

about the environmental and noise pollution, about the pledge he made

in 2009, no ifs and buts, no third runway, and he is concerned about

the London may roll elections next May when the Conservative candidate,

Zac Goldsmith, is wholly opposed to expanding Heathrow. I believe David

Cameron will put off their decision and demand and other environmental

audit and will be waiting until at least next summer before the

government decides. Thank you. For days now, delegates from nearly

200 countries have been negotiating a deal about how to to

tackle climate change. Meeting in Paris, they've been

trying to find agreement Our Science Editor, David Shukman,

looks at the carbon cost With lights blazing in cities around

the world, what does the summit Homes are one of many sources

of the carbon emissions released into the atmosphere that are blamed

for rising temperatures. If you add it up, the carbon

cost of households right across the country, you end up

with a total of nearly 140 million To put that in context,

it is about a quarter of all emissions produced

by the entire UK. Working out exactly

what is responsible is difficult and pretty contentious,

but here are some of the key things. One of the biggest factors

is the basic job of staying warm. Heating and hot water create

about 82 million tonnes Our thermal camera shows how much

energy can be wasted with heat Inside, boilers have become far more

efficient although a lot depends on the way that people actually

live in their homes. Over the years there has been

so much information, even at my work and things,

we are always conscious of not leaving lights on in

meeting rooms and things. I think, genuinely, personally

I think there has been a real change and people are more

conscious and aware. Next in scale is how we keep

the lights on at home. The electricity we use causes

about 39 million tonnes The appliances we depend on need far

less energy than they used The total of devices

in the average home is now 41, Then there is getting

around, the carbon cost That is about 1.6 tonnes

of greenhouse gas for each They do more miles per gallon

than they used to but more efficient diesels give off more nitrogen

dioxide, which adds to pollution. And flights are another

source of greenhouse gas. Just one return flight to New York

is the equivalent of a year's So how much difference

can one person make? You can save a bit of energy

by putting in energy efficient light bulbs and you can blow it in a week

by taking a holiday in the sun. Leisure, generally speaking

in households, is over a quarter of the carbon that we burn,

that we are responsible for. Ultimately, it is about personal

choice, and with carbon so important to our lives, fundamental change

is always going to be hard. More than 18 months ago fire

engulfed the Glasgow School of Art, regarded as one of the finest

buildings in the UK and the masterpiece

of Charles Rennie Macintosh. The building's centrepiece library

was left a burnt-out wreck and work is currently underway to rebuild it,

but now experts have decided it may be possible to reinstate some

of the original fittings. Scotland Correspondent Lorna Gordon

joins us from there now. It was a building known

for its contrasts of darkness and light, and at the heart of this

most dramatic of interiors, the library with its central cluster

of fittings illuminating When fire struck, it broke

into hundreds of different pieces. Now specialists are looking

at whether this masterpiece can be It may end up being the only

original part of the room It is a kind of jigsaw

puzzle of stuff. Even as we speak, we are discovering

how these pieces fit together and can be fitted together

for the restoration. The fire left Charles Rennie

Mackintosh's pivotal piece of architecture damaged but not

completely destroyed. The intention is to rebuild

the library back to this, The debris was a foot deep,

now cleared, but inevitably when this room is recreated,

it might not be quite the same I think they will spot

the difference because the building When it comes back, it will be

slightly more wood than that uniform And what of other artefacts

damaged by the flames? We are considering the option

of retaining one or two in this very blackened state because it does

help to tell the story of the fire. Clean, conserve, repair,

replace, reinstate. The challenge of bringing the Mac,

renowned for its architecture Hopefully a quieter night for

Glenridding. Absolutely. No real heavy rain but

we have some snow, this is a picture from the Highlands. You can make out

the tracks on the street. Thank you for sending that in. We have snow

showers coming into Scotland and it will stay quite chilly in the

northern half of the UK for the next few days, becoming cold at night.

This is the weather for the rest of the UK, a few showers but not that

persistent rain and dreadful weather we had in Cumbria last night. Mild

in the south, colder in the North with a few wintry showers in the

hills and tomorrow, the same theme will stop the northern two thirds of

the country a bit colder. Some fine weather also, Wales, the Midlands

and East Anglia will get some sunshine and a bit more cloudy on

the south coast with some rain. Friday night could be clear so good

night to spot some shooting stars. On Saturday morning, we are watching

for potentially wintry weather affecting the north-west, the

Pennines into Cumbria unfortunate for those flooded areas, there could

be some snow on the ground but it will be transient and clear quickly.

Heavy rain in northern Wales and across the Peak District. Saturday

night will be very mild in the south, 10 degrees, but in the

Highlands, first thing on Sunday morning, temperatures could be five,

maybe even a few degrees lower. Cold and frosty across the northern half

with some sunshine but still quite cloudy with damp weather across the

South. The story of the last few weeks, really. 12 degrees in

Plymouth but chilly in Aberdeen, around three degrees.

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me

and on BBC One we now join the BBC's news teams where you are.